Julianne Moore

InStyle was born in the ’90s, a decade that continues to inspire for its fashion extremes, from sleek and sexy minimalism to ahead-of-its-time grunge. Julianne Moore relives the magic of the madness

- Helena Christensen

HELENA CHRISTENSEN: You’re on the 25th-anniversary cover of InStyle: What is your proudest accomplishment of the past 25 years? Don’t say your children [Caleb, 21, and Liv, 17] because that is a given.

JULIANNE MOORE: [laughs] Then can I say my marriage [to director Bart Freundlich]? Twenty-three years with the same guy. It’s pretty amazing. We like each other; we’re invested in each other; we’re a family. I think being a family helps. There’s nobody who’s as interested in your children as the other parent.

HC: It’s actually the biggest accomplishment anyone can share, having kids together. A lot of people don’t make it after the kids. But you guys...

JM: Well, he’s a romantic partner, a work partner, and also a parental partner. I’ve talked about this with my kids. I said, “You know, if you want to have a successful career and family, you have to find somebody who is as interested in that as you are and is willing to share the work with you because otherwise you can’t do it. It’s too hard.”

HC: So, two kids: One is in college; the other is on her way. What plans do you and Bart have for the empty nest?

JM: I had a girlfriend who, when somebody said to her something about her empty nest, went, “It’s not empty. I’m in it.” I thought that was a really good answer because it’s true. Michelle Obama was asked this question too, and her response was something like, “I’m so happy for my children that they’re at the beginning of their adult lives.” So, I’m excited for them, and I want them to have every opportunity available to them.

HC: Since we’re here to talk fashion, can you walk us through this shoot? This issue marks your sixth InStyle cover.